Keira Knightley gave a delightfully down-to-earth interview to Marie Claire for their March cover story, wherein she gave her word that there will never be paparazzi pictures “of me falling out of my knickers as I’m coming out of a club.” The wise actress, 27, prefers to let her hair down privately (sometimes with close friend, actress Sienna Miller), and values friends and family over possessions. She didn’t go into show business with hopes of making a lot of money, as she was raised in it by parents who made a modest living doing what they loved: “My mom [Sharman Macdonald] is a playwright–she was an actress–and my dad [Will Knightley] is an actor, and we managed to go on holidays, but there were periods when they were hugely out of work and wouldn’t know if they could keep the house. It’s a very insecure profession.” She says she’s “always seen it for what it is,” and “it could all go away tomorrow.” Knightley has always been an extremely likable personality in addition to being one of the most well-respected actresses of her generation, and breezy, pleasant, humble interviews like this one are the reason why.

“I’m not sure I can define success,” she added. “I think if I get to the end of my life having hurt as few people as possible, I will be happy, making sure that the people who mean the most to me know they’ve been loved. Success in work, whatever work, will come and go.” The interview took place at an exhibition of Islamic art at the Museum of Arts and Design on New York City’s Columbus Circle, and wandering among the grossly extravagant collections of jewels that once belonged to tobacco heiress Doris Duke had Knightley shaking her head. She declared, “I won’t be defined by objects; I just won’t.” And that, in a nutshell, is why everyone loves her. The cover story on Keira Knightley will be on newsstands in the March 2013 issue of Marie Claire.

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